Icing device for livestock cars



W. A. FITZSIMMONS ICING DEVICE FOR LIVE STOCK CARS Filed Sept. 17, 1924v INVENTOR. z'mmams Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

I 1,525,723 PATENT o F erce.

.ICINGtDEVIGELFOR LIVES'DOGK Appiiationifired Se tember 17',"l1924;' semNo. 738,142.

To all whom it may concern Be tit known that \VILLIAM A. Frrzsnn MONS, acitizen of the-United States, residing at Omaha, in: the'countyofDouglasyand State-of Nebraska, has invented certain new and usefulImprovement-s in Icing Devices for Livestoclr'cars'," ofwhich thefollowing is-aspecification.

The invention relates to icing; devices :lor live-stockcars, and" hasfor its object to pro vide-La device of this character extendinglongitudinally of live stock .car, andthava ingits ends :slid ablymounted in" vertically disposed: guide "channels carried 'by the .endwalls of the cars, and *on' 'which device ice maybe placed, and as itmelts the cool water tl'ierefrom will. dropi onto the backs of hogs and\\:ill"l eep them. moving, especially the hogs located centrallyfofdthecar whereair does not reach the same, consequently sufe' focatingincident to: crowding is obviated! Atfurther object is toiforinithwdewice from screen" material, preferably "made from rods andhaving upstanding side members for preventing lateral displacement ofice when placed thereon. Also to provide means controllable from outsidethe car, whereby the ice supporting device may be raised to a positionadjacent the top of the car when not in use.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in thecombination and arrangement 'of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown inthe drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope ofwhat. is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body 01 the car,showing one side removed and the icing device therein.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the end of the car, showing the guidebrackets.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of one of themembers to which the ends ofthe ice receiving tray are secured.

.Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the guide channels.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the other guide channel.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the angle irons for the ends ofthe trays.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the tray.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the supporting bracketsfor the.center of theftray.

. Referringto the drawingvtlie numeral 1 designates a conventional formof live stock car, of the type usedifor shipping hogs and. Qtheusu rlslat sides thereof through .iw hich air circulates to the interiorfofthe car. It. has been found 1 where hogs are shipped in cars of thischaracter, the hogs crowd each other to the centerwrol the car,'.thereby weak ening" the hogs in the center of the car, and causing their"death" by sulfoca'tion; T he: hogsadjacentthe*sides of the .car'receivesuflicientair," which air'doe's not reachzthe hogs inthe centerot'thecar; Ithasv been. found if cold water isallowed to dripon the backs ofthe hogs, they will move about in the car, consequentlywill-notcrowd tothe center 'o'f the car, and to accomplish this resultya horizontally;disposedtrayf 3 is providedf which extends longitudinally of the. carand. is formed from heavvwire 'o-r rods. The tray '3 is provided with:vertically dis posed side members 4, which side members, when ice isplaced in the tray will prevent transverse displacement thereof and holdthe ice on the tray so that it will slowly melt, and cool watertherefrom will drop downwardly on the backs of the hogs in the stockcar, and cause the hogs to move about in the car. Secured to the ends ofthe tray 3 are right angularly shaped members 5, which members havetheir vertical flanges 6 secured to the horizontally disposed bars 7 bymeans of bolts 8. The ends of the bars 7 are provided with rectangularshaped en largements 9, which enlargements are vertically slidable inthe channels of the vertically disposed channel members 10, which aresecured to the end walls 11 of the car, and when the enlargements 9 arein the bottoms of the channels 10 the tray is held in a horizontalposition and against sagging incident to weight thereon; l-Iowever tofur ther brace the device the sides 2 of the car are provided withL-shaped brackets 12, which have one of their arms 13 disposed under thetray for siipporting the same, therefore it will be seen that the traywith the ice thereon will be thoroughly supported and braced.

The bars 7 have their upper sides pro vided with eyes 14, to which areconnected flexible members 15, which extend upwardly over the rollers16, carried by the ends 11 of the car, and thence downwardly outside theends ll 0]": the car to a position wherethey can be easily grasped bypersons outside the car for raising the tray to a position adjacent thetop of the car where it will not interfere with the use of the car forother purposes, and when it is not desired touse the icing device. Theends of the flexible members 15 are provided with rings 17' adapted tobe hooked over the hooks 18 in the end walls 11 of the car for holdingthe tray in raised position when not in use.

From the above it will be seen an icing device is provided for livestock cars, which is simple in construction, and one whereby the carwill be maintained cool, and at the same time water will drop from themelting ice onto the backs of hogs or other elements and cause the sameto move about in the car. Although the device has been describedprimarily for use in connection with cars in which hogs are shipped, itis to be understood that it may be used in connection with live stockcars of any kind.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. The combination with a live stock car having end and side walls,of an icing device, said icing device comprising a horizontally disposedice receiving tray formed from screen material, the ends of said traybeing provided with angle members, vertically disposed guide channelscarried by the end walls of the car, horizontally disposed bars, saidangle members being secured to said bars, enlargement carried by theends of said bars and slidably mounted in the guide channels andflexible members connected to said bars and extending upwardly andthrough the end walls of the car and terminating outside the car andforming means whereby said tray may be held in raised position.

2. The combination with a horizontally disposed ice receiving traydisposed in a stock car, guide channels carried by the opposite walls ofthe car and in which the ends of the tray are slidably mounted, of aflexible member connected to the ends of the tray, said flexible membersextending upwardly over pulleys carried by said walls and through thewalls, and means carried by the walls outside the car to which theflexible members may be attached for holding the tray in raisedinoperative position.

3. The combination with a live stock car having end walls, of an icereceiving tray extending longitudinally of said. car, supportingbrackets carried by said end walls and vertically guidable by saidbrackets and means cooperating with the ends of said tray whereby saidtray may be raised and lowered from outside the car.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature.

WILLIAM A. rITZsIMMoNs.

